WORKERS at the Vale of White Horse and South Oxfordshire district councils could share an office block to save taxpayers up to £400,000 a year.

The Abbey House offices in Abingdon or SODC’s home at Crowmarsh Gifford, near Wallingford, could close under the proposal — or a new office could be created at Milton Park, near Didcot, to host the two authorities.

Both councils have already made significant savings by sharing staff to run council services and the move could mean further redundancies, but no details regarding staff reductions have yet emerged.

David Buckle, chief executive at both councils, told the Herald earlier this month that sharing a building would make sense.

He said then: “I make no secret about the fact that I want to discuss accommodation.

“We are working out of two offices and it is not efficient.”

Mr Buckle said both offices could accommodate about 400 staff but housed only 250 staff each. He said: “It doesn’t make sense so we need to come to a decision and there is a big saving to be made by that.”

But this week he declined to comment further.

Matthew Barber, Conservative leader of the Vale council, said: “David Buckle is preparing a report on this which will come to cabinet in the summer.

“No one really cares where our senior managers are based, although members of the public do want to be able to visit a council office and talk about planning or environmental health.

“There are potential cost savings, but we will only go down this route if we can protect public services.

“We need to see financial savings and options will be outlined in the next few months. Work is in progress with officers.”

Elaine Hornsby, chairman of Wallingford traders’ group Wallingford in Business, said losing 250 people working locally would hit town traders, particularly the lunchtime trade.

She said: “It will have a big impact. Every loss of a customer is a serious one.”

Liberal Democrat Tony de Vere, the former leader of the Vale council who stood down following the local elections two weeks ago, said Mr Buckle had briefed him on the plan more than two months ago. He said: “We have been really looking at getting costs down — once you start, you do not stop. There is empty space in both buildings.”

Mr de Vere’s successor, Richard Webber, the new leader of the Lib Dem opposition on the Vale, said sharing an office could save betwen £200,000 and £400,000 a year.

But he said that Lib Dem councillors in Abingdon might be reluctant to give up their political base.

Ann Ducker, leader of Conservative-controlled SODC, said: “It will be on the agenda, but I think it will be on the agenda for some time to come.”

Mike Welply, former chairman of SODC, who represents Thame North, said he thought the best option would be to sell both buildings and create a new shared office. He said: “Milton Park would be an ideal location, provided there was sufficient space there to accommodate staff.

“Then you could sell off both buildings to the advantage of the local taxpayer.”

Another option is for the councils to rent out the surplus office space at their respective headquarters.

Ian Crick, the Unison union representative for both councils, said: “Unison is aware of the possiblity and a proposal is pending on the future of merging council officers into one office. We have been informed that we will be fully consulted on the options.”

The Tories took control of the Vale from the Lib Dems at the May 5 local elections, while the Tories on SODC retained control.

Abbey House was opened in 1992 and SODC’s offices were opened in the 1970s.